The Mark of Athena
by RandomWriting17
Summary: In an alternate version of the Mark of Athena, Annabeth is learning to cope with her impending fate as nine half-bloods begin their journey to Rome. Meanwhile, Gaea is working up a plot to rid the group of some of their most valued members. [Original summary inside]
1. Jason I

_**Summary:**_

_**My story begins as any other. But as it goes on, it becomes a story of nine brave half-bloods who set out to save the world they know.**_

_**On their journey they face many perils, and stand bravely at the face of death. Whether it be their own or a close friends'.**_

_**Their goal? To save a friend, close the Doors of Death, destroy the giants, and maybe...Just possibly...Lull Gaea back to sleep... (Overly dramatic I know.)**_

* * *

><p><strong>I<strong>

**Jason**

JASON WATCHED ANNABETH AS THE Argo II started to land. Curly trendles of blonde fell in her face, unbrushed, as she stared over the side of the ship at New Rome. She clutched the railing, knuckles white. Ever since the night Tyson had Iris Messaged camp about finding Percy, she had looked sick and pale. Dark shadows hung under her eyes; her hands trembled often. Jason came over cautiously and stood beside her.

New Rome looked as brilliant as ever. Long paths wound through the city and colorful banners rippled in the wind. Even in its state of disarray after battle, the city felt strong. The caved in roofs and wreaked statues in the forum made it look as if it was really Rome, slowly being rebuilt from it's ghostly state. Never to be conquered, banners flying freely...

The allusion faded as soon as it had come. But the spark that had ignited in Jason would not. It reminded him what they were fighting for. A future; one where the possibilities could be endless. A future where the spirit of Rome could be strong again; alive.

Beside him, Annabeth took a deep, calming breath. Jason wondered what her drive was, why she would sacrifice herself for this world.

"Percy's down there," she said quietly. "I can see him."

"Do you think he'll remember you?" Jason asked somewhat sheepishly.

"I doubt he could forget me even if he wanted to." She laughed, sounding bitter.

"Then what is it? What's been bothering you?"

"It's nothing. I just wish I knew what it all meant, you know? The prophecies, the dreams..." The Argo II hit the ground "...The warnings." She pulled on her Yankee's cap and disappeared. "Chiron told me to keep a lookout on everyone. In case something goes wrong."

"Right." Jason said in her general direction. "I just hope Reyna doesn't kill us on sight."

"I don't think she will. From what I've heard she seems reasonable. It's the others I'm worried about. It's best if you have back up. Someone who isn't a target," Annabeth's voice replied. "When he asks, tell Percy I didn't come. I'll show myself when later."

Leo and Piper came out of the Captains Quarters and into the sunlight. Jason's heart skipped a few beats. He didn't know if it was because he was afraid Reyna would kill him, or because Piper was looking as beautiful as ever. Her hair had grown out over the summer, and it was braided to the side with a feather. She was wearing combat boots and her favorite jacket over her jeans and orange Camp Half Blood T-shirt.

"Where is Annabeth?" She asked.

"She said to go on without her." Jason could tell the others didn't buy it. Thankfully they didn't have to.

Leo lowered the plank without a question. No one made a move to leave the boat.

"You're the Roman." Leo said, gesturing from Jason to the plank.

"You're the captain." Jason replied. They both turned to Piper.

"Guys," Piper said, "We'll go down together." Finally, they worked up their courage and walked down the plank and onto solid ground. It rumbled under their feet. The entire crowd of campers seemed to take in their breath at once. All was quiet. Then suddenly everyone started talking at once. Jason could hardly make out what they were saying.

"That him! It's Jason!"

"Ready your weapons!"

"More Kool-Aid!"

A figure emerged from the crowd, glossy black hair tumbling down her back. Eyes like pools of oil stared into his soul. Her purple praetors cape swished around her as she came to a halt in front of them. She was beautiful, but in a different way than Piper. The way she held herself was more dignified, her chin held higher, her shoulders squared.

"Jason," Reyna said coldly..

"Reyna," Jason said, suddenly aware of how close he stood to Piper.

"Follow me," her voice was sharp, "You have no idea what a horrible decision you've made." Reyna stood tall and shouted, "Clear the forum! Return to your daily activities!" Then she started making a path through the crowd. Jason followed.

"Charming, isn't she?" Piper muttered sarcastically.

"Reyna!" A boy about 17 caught up with them."What are you doing?"

"We are going to the Principia," She replied. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Right." The boy turned to Leo, "Your Leo, right? You're the one in the message."

"Yup." Leo replied, "That's me, Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. This is Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite and Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. And you're-"

"HEY! Wait up!" A girl that Jason recognized as Hazel ran up to them, followed closely by a dude who heroically tripped and landed on her. "Frank!" She yelled.

Reyna stopped and spun around, muttering something, a faint smile on her face.

"This is Hazel Levesque, Daughter of Pluto and Frank Zhang, son of Mars." Percy added, trying not to crack up. Hazel and Frank jumped up. (Hazel gracefully, Frank tragically and ending in a mouth full of dirt.) Hazel helped him to his feet, both of them were blushing. "Wait..." Percy said. "Is Annabeth...?"

Jason shifted on his feet nervously, "She didn't come. She had to - uh- Stay at camp." Piper flashed him a look but immediately looked away. She had this way of reading emotions, one of those 'daughter of Aphrodite' things.

"Come. We have much to discuss." Reyna flitted off, everyone hurrying to follow.


	2. Jason II

**II**

**Jason**

JASON, LEO, AND PIPER FELT completely out of place. The stood in front of the Praetors table in the Principia, feeling as if they were waiting to be convicted of a crime. Percy and Reyna sat in their chairs, looking very Roman. Reyna's eyes still pierced through him, a look of raw distrust on her face. Even though she watched him so carefully, her eyes never met his. "Allow me to be blunt for a moment," Reyna said. "You have stirred the legion. You cannot stay here. You have two days. Then be gone."

"Don't worry," Leo said. "We'll be out of her sooner. We were supposed to leave for Greece four days ago." He shot a glance at Piper.

"Hey!" She said. "That was not my fault!"

"So it wasn't your fault that as soon as I got it fixed you just had to be sarcastic? You charm spoke the mast off!"

"It was an accident!" She protested.

"You could have at least tried to put it back on!"

"STOP!" Hazel shouted. "Please...There is something else we must discuss. Rome."

"What do you mean?" Leo asked.

Frank stood up. "Gaea has control of the Doors of Death."

"The ones in the prophecy?" Piper asked.

"Gaea's been using them to bring back people from the dead. With them open, we don't have a chance against the giants."

"So these 'Doors of Death' are in Rome?" Jason said. "Who told you?"

"Death himself," Hazel said. "My brother, Nico. He was captured by Gaea, and we have reasons to think he's in Rome, too."

Reyna had just listened to all this quietly. "So it's real this time. The prophecy is finally coming to pass..." She said softly. "Last time-"

"It's not last time Reyna." Jason said. "It's not."

"How do you know!" Her voice rose suddenly. "We were wrong before why can't we be wrong now!" She looked around the room pleadingly. "There aren't even seven of you."

Annabeth took that as her cue to shimmer into existence.

"Annabeth!" Percy jumped from his seat.

Annabeth dropped her hat and ran to his arms. "I'm sorry I didn't show myself sooner," she said. "I couldn't be seen. Chiron's orders."

Percy cleared his throat. "This is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

Reyna sighed like blond chicks appeared out of thin air every day. "There I have it." She looked out the window longingly, eye's blazing with the light of the setting sun. "We should get some food. Our guest must be hungry." Jason wasn't sure whom she was talking to, but everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

That night they ate at Praetors table in the Mess Hall. Annabeth was invisible again, and Leo almost sat on her twice. They exchanged stories of their adventures. Wind spirit gave them hot cocoa and Chex Mix, which Percy said reminded him of the grain spirits they chopped into an assortment of breakfast cereals. They went on for hours, soon they were talking like old friends. Finally, when everyone was finished with their stories, Reyna stood.

"I have enjoyed your conversation, but all of us can agree that we all need sleep." She offered them rooms, but in the end they ended up going back to the boat.

"Are you coming?" Piper asked when Jason turned down a road leading the opposite to New Rome, were the boat was still parked. (Much to Terminus' chagrin.)

"I'll be back soon." Jason called. "I'm just going to go for a little walk."

Reyna was right where Jason thought she would be.

She stood at the edge of the valley, her praetors cape drifted around her in the breeze. Her head was turned upwards, towards the glittering heavens above.

"I've missed you, Jason." Her gaze shifted downward.

"I missed you too." Jason replied nervously. "Listen. I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I just..."

"Felt like you just needed to shout?" Reyna asked. "Truthfully, I've felt the same way. I guess I was mad at you for disappearing, I didn't know how to express how I felt."

"I still don't." Jason kicked a rock.

A few moments passed. "I guess you won't be here for long."

"I'm sorry we'll have to leave." Jason walked up to her. "You could come with us you know. We need all the help we can get."

Reyna shook her head. "I can't leave the camp, they need a leader. And I don't want to know what would happen with Octavian as the only authority figure."

Jason almost smiled. "Reyna...? Did you ever think I was dead?"

"Sometimes. What makes you ask?"

Jason shook his head. "I guess I just-"

"Is it about Percy being praetor?" Reyna guessed.

"No...It's just...Yeah."

"Jason. He's only been Praetor for a day." Reyna said. "Percy is a born leader, much like you. But truthfully I think he would give the position back to you in a heartbeat. He doesn't seem comfortable with it. And..." She took Jason's hand. "I think I prefer you as a partner." And before Jason could react she kissed him.

She pulled away, looking miserable. "You can stay in your old room if you want. I think as far as Percy is concerned it's still yours." She turned and ran down into the valley.

Jason watched her, in a trance, until she disappeared into the shadows.


	3. Annabeth III

**III**

**Annabeth**

ANNABETH WAS CURLED UP IN Percy's arms. She could feel his heart beating against his chest, a steady rhythm that calmed her mind, kept her anchored to reality. They were sitting by the lake, the moon like a spotlight drowning them in silver.

"Annabeth," Percy said quietly.

"Hmh, what is it Percy?" Annabeth asked, as if half asleep.

"Well...There is this harpy name Ella. She read the Sibylline Books. Yes _the_ Sibylline Books." Percy added when he saw Annabeth giving him a questioning look. "And when we were on the quest...She recited this prophecy. Something about the mark of Athena."

Annabeth's heart leaped into her throat. "How did it go?"

"_Wisdom's Daughter walks alone; The Mark of Athena burns through Rome._"

Annabeth jumped up. She repeated the lines under her breath like they were confirming her worst nightmares. They were. "No, no. That can't be it." She ran back towards New Rome as fast as she could. "I'll see you later Percy!" She called back as an after thought.

Annabeth poured over old scrolls about the war with the Giants. Anything to reassure her. Anything to tell her that the prophecy Percy had told her wasn't what she thought. Anything to decode what Gaea had been saying to her for months. Finally she gave up, and went to her hammock on the lower deck.

Her head hadn't hit the pillow when she drifted into a deep sleep.

Annabeth was back in the Labyrinth, which she recognized all too well.

"Chose your door, Annabeth." The right face of Janus said.

"You must hurry, your time is running out, Annabeth." The left face said.

"Your time is coming soon. You must make your decision."

"It is the difference between life and death, Annabeth."

Annabeth backed up. "Stop messing with me! This isn't real!" Annabeth turned around to look to Percy for help. When she turned around, she gasped in her sleep. This part was new. She was looking at she was sure to be the seven of the prophecy. To the right was Percy, Frank, and Hazel. To the left was Jason, Leo, and Piper. Then in the middle was a shadowy shape of a person. It shifting, like the seventh hadn't been decided.

"Your choice will decide the last half-blood." Hera's voice said. "You will be the seventh, then you may not be..."

"NO! I'm not the seventh! I don't want to be. I don't want to be part of this! I don't want any of this to happen! This can't happen!"

"Then your answer has already been decided," both faces of Janus said in unison. Then the world spiraled into darkness. Annabeth woke trembling, Piper was beside her, whispering in her ear, telling her to relax.

"Are you alright?" she asked, "You were screaming in your sleep. Has Gaea been messing with you too?"

"Please don't mention that awful goddess." Annabeth said. "Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No. I was having dreams too. When I woke up I realized Jason hadn't come back. I couldn't go back to sleep." Piper said. "Do you want to go outside and get some fresh air?" Annabeth nodded and got up.

They were leaning on the railing were Annabeth had been earlier that morning.

"What were you dreaming about?" Annabeth asked. Piper shook her head.

"Really, I don't know. I kept on hearing lines of this prophecy, over and over again. An oath to keep with a finally breath. I think she is trying to scare us with these dreams. Trying to get us to back down." Annabeth loved the idea of backing down.

"No. I don't think so." She said. "I think she wants us to come. She has some plan. I don't know what." Annabeth pulled out her knife and stroked the flat of the blade.

"Is that the knife?" Piper asked.

Annabeth winced. She wished Percy hadn't told that part of the story. She sighed and sheathed the blade. "Yeah. It is. I don't know why I still use it... It should probably be in the big house attic or something..."

"It's okay, Annabeth." Piper said. "I can't think of anywhere else it should be."

"Piper?" Annabeth asked. "Rachel said you were one of the seven. Are you-Do you-"

"Am I freaking out?" Piper said. "Yeah, I am." Piper paused. "We should go try to sleep again. Hopefully we won't have anymore dreams." She mumbled that last part. Piper grabbed Annabeth's hand and dragged her into the ship.


	4. Annabeth IV

**IV**

**Annabeth**

THE NEXT MORNING, Annabeth started snooping. She had told Jason that Chiron wanted her to watch the Romans, which was only partly true. In all honesty, she had been told to learn everything she could about the Roman camp. She snuck out early, her yankees cap on her head. All was going well until she got to the Pomerian Line.

"Hey don't think I can't see you!" It was the annoying statue god again.

"It's alright, I'm just going for a walk."

"Invisible? That is unacceptable!"

"Goodbye, Terminus."

She had a rough idea of what the camp looked like from their landing the day before. She set off down the Via Praetoria. The road was quiet this early in the morning, the sun just starting to rise. Most of the Lars paid her no heed. When she came to a fork in the road, she stopped. _What was that?_ She strained her ears to hear. Yes, it was thunder. But where was it coming from? She looked down the other road, the one that Percy said lead to the temples. Blood red clouds circled the temple on top of the hill. It must have been the temple of Jupiter, because it was the largest and most intricate. Annabeth looked around, then darted up the hill. Second only to the temples of Olympus, it was one of the most impressive temples Annabeth had ever seen. Its roof was held up by twelve thick pillars of marble, fifty feet high. Engraved into the marble floor were rose of Latin words that could only be prophecies. The hole grandeur of the place left Annabeth in aw so that she didn't notice someone else was there until their was a loud clang.

Annabeth started. There was a boy in front of the statute in a bed sheet. He had just thrown a knife across the temple in frustration, spewing profanity in Latin. He started to pace back and forth. "I should go back to beanie babies..." he muttered, throwing the head of a webkinz into the pile of stuffing. "Or maybe, I need to find a real duck."

"Or maybe you've lost your sight, Octavian." Annabeth hadn't been the only one watching. Another girl, one with curly caramel colored hair, had been watching, too.

"Or maybe I should just use you instead," Octavian snapped. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing." She crossed her arms and leaned against the pillar. "Just watching the show. You're funny when you're frustrated."

"I'll tell you something about your future if you go." The girl looked interested at that offer. "What kind of things?"

"Anything. I've spent a lot of time researching you."

"Will I ever see my brother again?" Her voice caught, like she was already regretted asking. Octavian thought for a moment. "Never. Not even in death."

The girl looked taken aback. "Why not?"

He smirked. "You know perfectly well why. You're a horrible person. You'd be lucky to even make it to Asphodel much less _Elysium_. You're a traitor, almost as bad as Greeks."

"I am many things. I'm a legacy of Hecate, more mortal than god, and even a traitor, if you prefer to call it that. But I am not a _Greek!"_ The girl ran over, like she was about to smack him. "And really, you're not that much better than I am."

"Oh don't spout that legacy of Hecate crap. You know you're just jealous. Your brother was a brave powerful halfblood, and you were just a mortal. You're parents didn't care about you."

"I'm not jealous!" This time she really did smack him. "And if I wasn't a halfblood, how would I have gotten into camp?"

"You do have _faint _traces in your blood, surely enough to get in the camp with a little... _help._" He seemed to be accusing her of more than sneaking into camp.

"Hey Octavian!"

Annabeth jumped. The voice had come from behind her. She ducked behind a pillar. A group of campers, most likely from the first and second cohorts, stood at the steps.

"We're not interrupting anything are we?" the guy who had shouted before said. He had a cocky smile, a burly frame, and a bad sense of humor.

"I was just leaving." The girl stomped on Octavian's toes, then turned around and left.

"Score dude," the burly guy said.

Octavian gave him a nasty, sarcastic smile. "She's not my type."

"What is she? A Greek?"

"Worse."

Annabeth was about to leave, not wanting to hear what horrible things Octavian had to say about the girl. She was sick of hearing about how superior the Romans where. She turned around to go back to her snooping when she caught a bit more of their conversation.

"...Alert the rest of the cohort..." "...When...?" "...After dinner." There was a bit of laughter. "This should be fun."

Annabeth didn't know what they were talking about, of course. But she had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with her and her friends. She didn't waste her time in getting out of there. The clouds had cleared and the sun was well up now. Whatever time Annabeth had for snooping was over. She'd be lucky if she didn't run into anyone on her way back to the boat. Besides, she was sure that whatever she had overheard was much more important than any battle plan. For all she knew, a war could have already been started.


	5. Percy V

**V**

**Percy**

PERCY WASN'T SURE ABOUT what Annabeth was telling him. It made no sense. Why would anyone want to start a war? They had enough to worry about already.

"Percy this is Octavian we are talking about. Jason warned us about him. He'd do anything to get the praetorship," Annabeth persisted. "We have to leave before tonight. He and the first cohort are planning something."

"But they can't do anything while the ships in New Rome. Terminus would stop them." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Just you watch."

Whatever notions Percy had about Annabeth being paranoid were extinguished at lunch when Octavian suggested they move the ship out of New Rome. Although it was hard to disagree with Octavian when he put up the best argument possible.

"Terminus is having a cow." So they didn't arouse suspicion, they did as he suggested, then went immediately to warn Reyna.

She twirled her knife nervously on the table. Argentum and Aurum seemed to be reflecting her mood, their growling a low, rumbling constant in the room.

"I've known Octavian for a long time, and I don't trust him. But I would have never thought he would try to turn the camp against itself."

"We've learned not to underestimate our enemies." Percy said.

"I see." Reyna sighed, like the world was back on her shoulders. "Thank you for the warning. You may leave as soon as possible."

"Thank you, for everything." Percy said.

"Thank you, son of Poseidon, for saving my camp. Let us hope that it will not fall into turmoil as soon as you leave." Reyna stood. "Remind Frank and Hazel they still need to get their ten years of service in."

Percy smiled. "I will." He turned to leave, but she stopped him one more time.

"You have thirty minutes. After that, you'll be shot out of the sky." Percy turned to see her smiling at him. "I have to keep up my image, don't I? I am a Roman."

Percy walked out the door to where Annabeth was waiting.

"Can we go? Will they not shoot us out of the sky?" Annabeth asked.

"Not for, uh, 28 minutes." Percy gave her a cheeky smile. "Come on."

Predictably, they weren't able to sneak off unnoticed. A larger crowd gathered around the lake where the Argo II had been moved. Some were shouting insults and calling them _Graecus'. _Others, Percy's friends from the fifth cohort, shouted things like "Good Luck!" "Kool-Aid!" "Don't die!" and other encouragements.

Percy thought he spotted Reyna in the crowd a few times. A glimpse of purple, or a flash of gold and silver as her mettle hounds followed her around. He hoped that everything would be fine, but her couldn't help but worry.

When Leo got the ship in the sky everyone seemed to relax a little. Even Percy, who usually didn't like flying, felt at ease. Until he heard the thunder.

"Oh what a wonderful time for it to storm." Percy said sarcastically.

"I'm sure it's fine, Percy," Annabeth said. "Zeus won't knock us out of the sky. Not with Jason around." She didn't sound thoroughly convinced. Wonderful. Thunder shook the boat again. Just wonderful...


	6. Percy VI

**VI**

**Percy**

THEY HIT THE CAMP around midnight. Literally. Leo had fallen asleep at the controls, and they crash landed a couple hundred feet away from the lake.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Leo yelled, pressing buttons and spinning records. "I got it!" They stopped falling a few feet above the ground, then fell with a thump.

"Mr. D isn't going to be happy about us tearing up his camp." Percy laughed. "I just hope we didn't land on anybody."

"Mr. D isn't here." Piper said.

"What? Why not? Did Zeus decided to revoke his punishment?"

"No, Percy." Annabeth said quietly. "He and the other gods, they're all locked up at Olympus. No one can get in or out. They've gone silent."

"Oh." Percy wanted to ask more, but then he heard something. He looked over the the railing to see a group of people racing towards the ship. They didn't waste their time in going to meet them. There was Chiron, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and Grover. Then, standing in front of all the others, was Thalia. She was glowing with a silver aura as all hunters do, but she was in jeans and a plain silver T-shirt.

Grover cheered and ran like Percy was holding a cheese enchilada.

"Hey G-Man," Percy said. "Have your horn grown since last summer?"

Grover looked flustered. "I'm lord of the wild now, I have to keep up my appearance."

Thalia walked forward, nodded at Percy, then went around the guy-love fest and addressed Hazel and Frank. "And who may you be? I'm guessing you're Romans?"

"Yes," Hazel said, "We are both Romans. I am Hazel and this is Frank."

Thalia shook their hands. "I am Thalia, Jason's sister."

"Percy told us about you." Hazel said. "You're a hunter of Artemis, right?" Thalia nodded. Frank gaped at her, but Hazel hit him on the back of the head. Annabeth hugged her.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Artemis?"

Thalia cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "I have gained permission from Lady Artemis to accompany you to Greece." She turned back to Percy. "If you will take me."

Percy nodded.

"Wait." Jason said, "I'm not letting you come. It's way too dangerous."

"And what makes you have the right to go?" Thalia snapped.

"I'm one of the seven!" Jason protested.

"I can help." Jason thought for a second, then, as if he had thought of the perfect argument, he shouted: "I'm older than you!"

"I'm immortal!" Jason's mouth dropped, the argument won.

"Nope, Nope, Nope." Ella said, startling everyone. "Not good, Not good. Daughter of Jupiter must not come. Nope, Nope, Nope."

Hazel stepped forward and spoke soothingly. "Why shouldn't she come Ella?"

"Nope. Nope. Nope." Was all Hazel got out of her. Thalia, who seemed happy with her victory, paid no attention to the Harpy's warning. She pulled Rachel forward.

"Frank. Hazel. This is Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She's is our Oracle." Thalia said.

Rachel offered no words, looking like she was about to tell them someone was going to drop dead. "While you guys were gone, I randomly spewed out this prophecy. I thought-"

Ella interrupted Rachel and started chanting in Latin:

_Wisdom's Daughter Walks Alone;_

_The Mark of Athena Burns Through Rome._

_The Doors of Death shall stage her stand_

_And fall shall the girl crowned with a silver band_

When she finished everyone was silent. Finally, Thalia croaked, "Translation?" But by the sound in her voice Percy could tell she understood the last line. Chiron, who had been watching gravely as the events unfolded, trotted forward. "We will hold war consul early tomorrow. It seems that it is time to discuss certain-matters."


	7. Jason VIII

**VII**

**Jason**

JASON DIDN'T SLEEP that night. But that wasn't anything new. Every he closed his eyes he saw some nasty image of Thalia broken and bloody on the ground. He tried to keep his eyes open, but his mind continued to play tricks on him. There was always something keeping him awake, whether it was a shadow on the wall or the sound of a distant scream. Nothing he did could block out the nightmares, asleep or awake. After four hours of this he couldn't stand it anymore. He jumped out of his bed and was out the door.

_Fresh air._ he thought to himself. _That's all I need. _He walked for hours, or at least it seemed like that. Eventually he found himself at Zeus' Fist, a twenty foot tall pile of boulders that didn't resemble a fist in anyway. There he collapses onto a rock, and he sat there silently, until the suns started to rise. Even then, he walked around for a long time. Only when the sun gave away the fact it was almost lunch, did Jason finally turn back. The first person that found him was, Malcolm, one of Annabeth's brothers.

"Jason we've been looking for you for hours!" He was gasping like he had ran a few miles. "You are to report to the big house immediately." Just what Jason wanted to hear.

"Why?"

"They found a stow away in the Argo. They think she might be a spy." The way he said spy, Jason knew he meant someone from Camp Jupiter.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Jason walked into the big house not much later feeling nervous. What if it was someone from his camp? How could he explain that? He was too busy worrying about it realize it when he walked in on War Council. Leo, Piper, Annabeth, and Thalia sat on one side of the table. On the other side was Hazel, Frank, Percy, and a seat for Jason. At the head of the table was Chiron in wheelchair form with a girl tied to the arm rest. Jason jumped out of his skin. He did _know her._

"What?" Piper asked, eyes locked on his. "Is she from Camp Jupiter?"

"I-I don't know." Jason fell into his seat. "I don't remember." He thought he had gotten all his memories back. And he had, well, all of them except this one. "I don't remember," he repeated. "I've seen her before, but she's not from Camp Jupiter."

"Then where could you have met her?" Hazel asked.

"I've seen her before, too." Annabeth jumped in. "At Camp Jupiter, she was talking to Octavian. He said she was a traitor."

"Well anyone who is friends with Octavian can't be pleasant." Percy said.

"First of all, me and Octavian are _not_ _friends_." The girl said.

Everyone stared at the girl. "Now you talk?" Annabeth snapped. "Who are you? He said you were a mortal. How did you get into the camp?"

"Like I said, Octavian thinks rather lowly of me. I think he forgets he's a legacy too." The girl cleared her throat. "Allow me to introduce myself." She tried to move her hands in a peaceful gesture, but they were tied. "My name is Camilla Royair, and I'm a legacy of Hecate. And yes, I know your dear Jason. Do you still have that flashy coin?"

A memory tried to resurface. It must have been an older one, because it was foggy. Or maybe Juno/Hera didn't want him to remember.

"No," he answered automatically, "It's broken."

Camilla smiled. "Good. I never liked that weapon much." She felt her neck with her free hand, like she was remembering a particularly painful memory. "Anyways. I came here on Octavian's orders. It was his idea."

"But you just said he hated you, and he wouldn't have known we were leaving. It was too sudden," Frank said.

For a moment Hazel looked disturbed, then whatever she was thinking she waved it aside. "So what are we going to do with her?"

What would they do with her? Camp Half-Blood didn't have dungeons or a dark pit. The only thing they had remotely close to that was the basement.

"We'll put her in the basement until we figure out what to do with her," Chiron said.

"Frank, Leo, please take her to Argus then return. We need to discuss more important matters." That's something great about Chiron, he doesn't mind saying something else is more important than the girl standing beside him. Gotta love the centaurs.


	8. Jason IIX

**VIII**

**Jason**

WHEN WAR COUNSEL WAS OVER, Jason was starving. The eight of them shuffled out of the door and towards the dining pavilion. When they got there, Annabeth caught up with him right before he sat down.

"She's lying." Annabeth said, strait to the point.

"About?" Jason asked.

"Everything." Annabeth replied. "Octavian never would have know we were leaving. Someone else must have told her."

"Who?" Jason had a feeling he knew what the answer was.

"Take a guess," Annabeth muttered darkly before walking away.

_What was that about?_ Jason thought, but he was quickly distracted by the food. Jason had to much to think about already, now all he seemed to be able to think about is the mysterious girl. He still couldn't place where he had seen her. Where had he seen her...

News of the odd events apparently had not gotten around yet. Everyone was going about their daily business training. A few pegasi flew overhead, the Apollo cabin was working on their archery skills. (As if they need anymore practice.) Jason was happy no one had heard. He didn't feel like being questioned.

Whatever amount of energy that had kept him awake through all excitement had disappeared. Jason found himself barely able to move. The effects of another sleepless night had caught up with him. He shuffled past all the cabins without even a glance. Once he heard shouts and yells of surprise coming from the Ares Cabin, and Jason wondered vaguely if Frank was getting along well with his siblings.

He had expected her to be in Artemis' cabin, where there were actual beds. It was the place she called home now. But she wasn't. She was sitting on the floor, photos spread across the floor at her feet. Her finger was tracing the edge of one in particular. Jason recognized it, even though it was upside down. It was the one that had fallen off the wall, the one Jason had asked Annabeth about. The one that had helped him remember that Thalia was his sister.

She didn't realize Jason was there at all until he was a few feet away.

"Oh! Jason." She looked up and Jason realized she had tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away as for him not to notice.

"Whatcha looking at?" He asked lightly, as if he hadn't.

"Just going through some of these old photos. I don't think I've looked at them since we took them." Jason sat down beside her and pointed out one that seemed to have a particularly interesting back story. "Oh," she laughed, "That one."

So that's how they plunged into the story of how Thalia had played wackamole with some zombies. They joked and laughed, and Thalia would use different pictures to explain the events. She really was a wonderful storyteller, and as they went, Jason felt like he was finally getting to know his sister. She was afraid of heights and she liked cheeseburgers, just like Jason. He learned that she was a tree at one point, and that she'd hated pine needles ever since. Sometimes they veered away to more serious topics, like how she had left their mother when she was twelve. How she had turned her back on her father when she had joined the Hunters. But neither of them cared much for discussing such things.

She was no longer referred to as a daughter of Zeus, somehow she'd left that title behind, but no matter how old Jason got, Thalia would be his older sister, hunter or not.


	9. Annabeth IX

**IX**

**Annabeth**

ANNABETH WAS IN A GOOD mood. As she walked through the halls of the Big House, she couldn't get rid of that annoying skip in her step. After War Counsel, she and Percy had stole away to the beach. No one had been around so it had been quiet. Annabeth hated to admit it, but she had actually enjoyed herself. The world could be coming to an end, and she was enjoying herself. Completely unacceptable.

But despite her guilt, she was the happiest girl in the world. Until they started talking about the present. The last light of the day was fading, they were just beginning to be able to see Zoe's constellation. Percy sat beside her, making shapes in the sand. She felt safe, and if at that moment the world had decided to swallow them up they could just dive into the sea.

"Percy." Annabeth had said. "Do you think we'll make it back?"

Percy wasn't one to lie to her, so she knew he meant it when he said "I don't know." The waves almost crashed silently on the shore. It was eerie.

"Well, I better get some shut eye. My shift starts at eleven thirty." She kissed Percy then got up to leave, all without him saying a thing.

"Annabeth." She could barely hear his voice, he must have just whispered it. She turned around. "I love you," he said.

"I-I love you too." She meant it, but it came out half-heartedly.

It seemed like an odd thing to say at that moment, but as Annabeth looked back, she was glad he did. Because as she looked down the basement steps and saw the girl held there had disappeared, Annabeth felt sure that he would have had no time to say it after word.

"Piper," Annabeth whispered, "Piper where are you?" There was a moan in the corner. "Piper!" Annabeth ran over to the corner and shook Piper.

"What's going on?" She mumbled.

"That's what I was hoping you'd tell me. Where's the girl?"

"She caught me off guard. I thought she was asleep, but she snuck up behind me and hit me over the head with..." Her voice trailed off.

"Do you still have your knife?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes," Piper replied. "I don't think she knew I had it."

Annabeth paced back and forth, ruffling her hair in distress. "I have to find her. She wouldn't have left if she wasn't up to something." Annabeth turned to Piper. "Wake the others up. Get ready to leave for Greece at any moment. I'll be back."

The first place Annabeth went was the forest. It was where most of the shady things went on at Camp Half-Blood. All the way from Grover sneaking away with Juniper to enemy spies summoning monsters Tartarus.

Annabeth went deeper and deeper into the forest. With each step the darkness grew thicker, and she knew, even the camp borders could not protect her from Gaea here. She caught a glimpse of a blaze through the trees and she ran toward it. When she reached the clearing she stopped dead in the shadows.

Annabeth had read about summoning monsters before, but never actually seen someone do it. But Annabeth knew that was what the girl - what had she called herself? - Camilla was doing. Sometimes when someone summons a monster, if it's a small one, nothings needed except maybe a few words of Ancient Greek. But it must have been something large and powerful, because Camilla was standing in front of a blazing fire. Instead of rising, the smoke churned on the ground, flowing around Camilla in dark wisps like it did when Rachel told a prophecy, only the smoke was pitch black. She chanted words in Greek. Even if she was a legacy of Hecate, Annabeth doubted anyone could pull off something so complicated as what she was doing. It only confirmed what Annabeth had thought at first.

That she was a servant of Gaea.

It didn't make sense to Annabeth. What would Gaea want with a girl who couldn't be much older then Hazel? When she could have had someone like Clarisse, Frank, or even Jason to do her bidding. It made no sense...Unless this girl was the only one stupid enough to take an offer.


	10. Annabeth X

**X**

**Annabeth**

ANNABETH WAS SO CAUGHT up in these thoughts that she didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. The fire jumped fifty feet in the air and Annabeth stumbled away from the heat. The fire shrunk back down to it's original sizes almost immediately, but the rest of the clearing was on fire. Camilla looked fine, but there was a seventy foot tall dragon behind her. It turned up its gigantic head and blew fire into the air. Annabeth ducked as sparks and flaming tree limbs fell to the ground. the dragon started flapping its wings, breaking trees all the way, and rose into the sky. Before Annabeth could really register what was happening, Camilla spotted her.

Annabeth drew her knife and backed farther into the shadows, wishing she could shadow travel like Nico. Annabeth shouldn't have been scared. She had a weapon and Camilla didn't. She was by far more skilled. But Annabeth had a reason to be scared, even if she didn't know it yet. Annabeth let her instincts take hold. She sprung on Camilla and had her pinned to the ground before she could move.

"You work for Gaea." Annabeth said. It wasn't a question.

"You think I'm proud of it?" She spat out. "If the Titans had won the first war, I wouldn't have been in this mess. But you and that son of Poseidon had to get in the way."

"You were in the Titan army?"

"Was one of the best," Camilla said. "I fought your little Roman friend myself. It was great fun, I almost killed him"

"What did the Lord of Time want with you?" Annabeth said.

"Oh, I have a few tricks up my sleeves." With that she kicked Annabeth off her and rolled to her feet. She grabbed a burning stick and held it close to a shocked Annabeth's face. "You can't hurt me. Give up." The stick was burning white hot.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" Annabeth asked, trying to back away.

"Revenge." Camilla said, her voice was just a whisper. "Kronos was going to make me immortal. The Titan of the Underworld. I could have brought back anyone."

"He was lying. He promised the same thing to Daedalus."

"It was long after Daedalus's death. But that's not the point. Gaea's given me a second chance. If I complete my assignment, I get my family back. All the people I care about that I lost because of-" Suddenly Camilla fell to the ground with a cry of pain.

Out of nowhere Frank, Hazel, and Leo appeared.

"What's going on?" Hazel asked. "Annabeth are you alright?"

"Yeah," Annabeth replied. She stood, shaking a little. "I think."

Frank notched an arrow on his bow. "Want me to finish her off?" He asked shakily.

"No," Annabeth replied, "She knows a lot more than she let on."

Hazel gave Frank an uneasy look, but she waved her hand in a _we'll see what the others say _kind of gesture.

"The others are waiting in Hera's cabin." Leo said. "Come on."


	11. Percy XI

**XI**

**Percy**

"PERCY!" HE HEARD Rachel shriek. "Percy get up!"

The red headed oracle splashed icy water on his face. Rachel stomped on the cuff of her jeans, smothering the flames. "There's a dragon invading camp and you SLEEPING?"

"A...dragon...?" Percy sat up and stared at Rachel groggily.

She splashed another cup of water on him and smacked him hard. "WAKE UP!"

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Percy sprang out of his bed and grabbed Riptide of his nightstand. "Dragon...did I hear that right?"

"Yes, Percy. Go put out some cabins won't you?" She pointed to the door.

He uncapped Riptide and ran out the door, not giving it a second thought.

The second he left the cabin he ran into Thalia.

"Watch it!" She yelled. She jumped to the side, barely missing his blade. She glared at him, then something caught her attention and her eyes grew wide. Thalia kicked Percy's legs and sent him falling to the ground. A blast of fire shot past them.

"What was that?!"

"Dragon's breath, duh." Thalia rolled her eyes then yelled, "Duck!"

Connor Stoll ran by and yelled, "Goose!"

She grabbed Percy's wrist and drug him behind the Ares cabin.

"Well somebody has a killer case of heartburn. How'd a dragon get in camp?"

"The stowaway. She knocked Piper out and disappeared. Annabeth went after her, though." That didn't necessarily make Percy feel better. "I'm sure she'll find her." Thalia looked around frantically. "Come on."

In a few seconds they were in Hera's cabin. The walls were shaking. Percy didn't know if it was because the dragon or Thalia had just stepped in. On the cold floor was a small group of campers. Clarisse, a girl from the Hephaestus cabin-Nyssa, Grover, and Rachel talked in whispers in the corner. Jason and Piper were at the back of the cabin, staring at Pipers knife. Jason looked up and then behind Percy.

"It's just you. We shouldn't have let them go after her..."

"Jason," Piper said. "They'll be back soon, I'm sure they're fine."

Jason didn't say anything to that.

"What's going on?" Percy said. "Everyone seems to know but me." No one answered him. "We're leaving?" Everyone shook their head. "What?" He asked in astonishment. "Now? With the camp in flames?"

"That's it Percy," Thalia said. "The longer we stay the more danger we put the camp in. We are leaving as soon as the others get here-" At that moment five figures tumbled into the room. One was more thrown in.

Leo looked fine, obviously, and Hazel and Frank were panting and scratched but standing. Annabeth was a complete mess, her slightly charred Yankees cap in her pocket, her blond curls framing her face like one of those poofy 60's hair do's. She pretty much collapsed into Percy's arms. He stumbled over to a corner and laid her down.

"Are you alright?" Annabeth didn't answer. "What happened?" Percy looked around at the others, his tone growing panicked.

"Most of the forest is on fire." Leo said. "A tree fell and knocked her off her feet. She should be fine soon, just a little dazed." He pointed a finger at the limp girl-who had somehow managed to become sprawled out in the middle of the room. "She summoned the dragon."

"Well we've guessed that much." Piper said.

Camilla slowly rose to her feet, her shoulder oozed blood. "If you want any answers, you're wasting your time," she said. "Why don't you just kill me now?"

Jason had been quiet. So quiet Percy had almost forgotten he was there.

"I remember you now..." He muttered. "You said the same thing...On mount Tam. You were the last thing between me and Kronos's Throne."

"Hmm? Starting to remember me, Jason?" She asked.

"You were hard to beat. Impressive, really, so I offered to let you go. Said you could come back to camp Jupiter with us. But you didn't except that offer, you just said, 'it'd be a lot easier. Why don't you just kill me now?' Maybe I should have..."

"You would have saved me a lot of trouble, Jason, if you had." Her tone was bitter. "It was very un-Roman of you. But you're not much of a Roman are you?"

"I'm more of a Roman than you think."

"Prove it," she challenged.


	12. Percy XII

**XII**

**Percy**

JASON HAD HER PINNED to the wall in a second, his sword was at her throat.

"Jason," Pipers voice was harsh. "Don't." There was a tense moment when he didn't move an inch, and made no sign of moving. Then he shrugged and sheathed his sword.

"We don't have time for this." Rachel stood. "You all must leave. Your time is running out." The faint sound of crackling fire filled the air. Jason turned to Thalia.

"I'm coming." She said before he could get a word in otherwise.

"I know," Jason said. "I was just going to tell you...I understand."

"It's not likely you will return," Rachel warned. "The seven must face their task alone."

"I will stay with my brother as long as I'm allowed." Thalia replied firmly. "If I am to die at the hands of Gaea and her minions then let it be so."

"I'm coming too." Her voice cracked a little. "I want to help." Camilla sounded like she didn't believe what she herself was saying. "I think it's time I take a look at the other side. I don't think Gaea likes me that much anyways." There was an odd silence, only broken by the ever present crackling of fire.

"I have an idea," Rachel said. "I think I know who this dragon is."

"Rachel, no." Annabeth stood slowly, grabbing Percy's hand for balance. "We can't be sure. If it's not, you'll be fried."

"I think I would recognize my guardian when I see her." Rachel said, her voice not quite her own.

"Annabeth." Percy said. "What is she talking about?"

"Delphyne," Annabeth answered. "The dragon which guarded the oracle of Delphi in ancient times." Something like a roar rumbled through the valley.

"You're right, Annabeth. It may not work. But right now it seems like our only choice. It'll give you enough time to get to the boat." Everyone exchanged glances.

"Come on." Hazel said. "Rachel is right. It's our only chance."

Rachel nodded at Hazel. "You have three minutes. starting now."

Rachel ran out the door and everyone followed. After that everything was a blur. Percy vaguely remembered seeing Rachel standing in front of the dragon her hands up, spewing green smoke. Annabeth went the fastest, dragging Percy with her. Percy realized there was a long burn on her back. But somehow she managed to run. When they jumped into the boat she collapsing beside the mast. Jason pulled Thalia on to the boat just as it began to rise.

"Thanks..." She muttered to him.

Then all was silent. The world stopped moving abruptly. All they could hear was the sound of the distant dragon spewing fire.

"Leo you out here?" Pipers voice came.

"Yup." Leo replied.

"Light your hand up won't you?"

A glow came from one end of the boat. The faces of nine half-bloods were lit in a gloomy glow. Nearly falling over, Annabeth stumbled to the edge of the Argo II. Percy came and stood beside her, his arm around her. "We had just fixed it." Annabeth muttered, laying her head on Percy's shoulder. Slowly everyone followed, getting one last glimpse their burning camp. The last place they had to call home. Leo's hand went out. The night was silent. The quest had begun.


	13. Jason XIII

**XIII**

**Jason**

THREE WEEKS. That's how long it took to get across the Atlantic. It would have been quicker, but there was the matter of the pirates. And the sea monster. And the hurricane. Jason considered the Argo II and its crew to be extremely lucky. Most ships wouldn't have lasted that long. He walked into the Captain's quarters, which wasn't near as fancy as it sounded. It was about the size of a broom closet. Leo sat on a small stool that insisted on trying to tip every other second. He studied a crudely drawn-but extremely accurate-map. Lou Ellen, a daughter of Hecate, had enchanted it so it was like a Pirate-themed GPS.

"Piper wanted to me tell you 'dinner is served.'" He said the last part in a poor imitation of Piper.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Dinner?"

"She said something about 'raising our spirits' and she was 'sick of seeing us all down in the dumps.'" Jason said.

Leo shrugged.

Things had been rather slow since the pirates, but Jason wouldn't go as far as to say they were down in the dumps. It's true Annabeth had been keeping more to herself, Leo never took his eye's of his map, Camilla didn't leave the mast unless forced. But down in the dumps? No. Not at all. Leo continued to studied the map. When Jason didn't leave he looked up.

"The hurricane sent us way off track..." He mumbled, like he didn't want to admit it.

"How far exactly?" Jason asked.

"Africa." Leo said. "Should reach the Sahara by morning." He shoved the map at Jason. Just as Leo had said, the little sketch of the Argo II was making its way to west towards Africa. Leo pulled the map out of Jason's hands.

"Going over land would be a lot fast." He said, putting it in his tool belt. "But it may be dangerous. I don't think the ship could take flying that far." As if on cue, the ship shuddered and black smoke came up from the the floor boards. "See what I mean." Leo shots an irritated look at the floor. "I don't know what's wrong with it. It was fine when we left Camp Half Blood." Leo leaned forward and whispered, like he didn't want anyone to over here. "I'm sure, but I think-"

"Jason!" Pipers suddenly appeared behind him. "I told you to hurry. Dinner's getting cold." She gave Leo a subzero stare. "I better have not wasted four hours for nothing." She flitted away. Leo laughed. "Four hours? Come on, maybe it's barbecue."

It wasn't barbecue, but it would be a lie to say the meal wasn't cheerful. Apparently there is something about facing their doom that makes enjoying those short moments they have easier. Jason had also come to a conclusion about Piper. Maybe; if they had been normal -or as normal as you can get as a demigod- things could have been different. But seeing as it was likely at least one of them wouldn't be returning, was there really any use of thinking about it at all? _Yes._ Jason had told himself the hundred-and-one times the question had come up. it's important because... _Because what?_

_Stop interrupting my thoughts! Wait..._

_So you figured it out? Well It took you long enough!_ The voice in his head chided.

"It only took me a second!" Jason said aloud.

"Are you alright, Jason?" Thalia asked, pressing her hand to his forehead.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He waved her hand away from him _The freaky peacock goddess strikes again_, he thought.

"You don't look so good. You're sure you're alright?"

"I'm sure." Jason began to get up. "I'm sorta tired, though. I'm gonna turn in."

"Okay." Thalia didn't look convinced.

As soon as Jason got below deck he lost it. "Juno get out of my head!" He ordered the side of the ship. _I'm a goddess, Child. I may stay in whichever head I choose._

"I don't care if you're a goddess! Get out, alright?" Jason could almost imagine Juno frowning at him. _I'm here to bring a message, Child._

"Fine. Get on with it! And stop calling me a child."

_I only wish to tell you, Sparky, to be wary of the desert. Gaea has left you alone out at sea, but traveling over the earth will be trickier. _"Why? Why will it be trickier?" That time, Juno did not answer. "Great. Now you go."

Jason then presided to bang his head on the side of the ship.

"So you finally lost it, Sparky."

The nickname Juno had called him by only seconds before slipped from her lips casually, but it was almost as unnerving as the voice itself.

"I wasn't even aware I had it." Jason replied.

"I was not implying that you did." Camilla sat on the floor below him, so she was looking at his face whenever she looked up.

"Why are you down here?" Jason asked.

"Is it a crime to rest?"

"Not unless you plan on silting someones throat during the night."

"The only throat worth bothering with is yours, Jason. But we're allies now, and I'm unarmed." with that smile he could almost believe her. "You can't play that card anymore. We all saw you take those swords from that pirate." _Almost. _

She put her hands in the air. "Fine. You got me."

_Good. End of conversation._

Camilla got up and threw herself into her hammock. "Good night, Jason"

Silence followed

The Jason thought back to the episode in Hera's cabin. That night was the first time he'd heard Juno speak to him. He had been tempted to ignore Piper. Then Juno had stepped in, saying that Camilla would be important to the quest and he killed her then, they would fail. Why was she so important? He remembered what had happened on the pirate ship. One of them had had her cornered her, and everyone had thought she was a goner. But somehow she had dodged his sword and gotten away.

Now would be the perfect time to ask about it. "How did you do that?"

Camilla turned to look at the wall. "Do what?"

"Back on the pirate ship, how did you move so fast?"

"I'm just fast, I guess." Jason could hear the smile creeping into her voice.

"You were always too fast for me," Jason said. "Even when you weren't moving. "

She actually laughed. "I will always be faster than you. I wasn't trained Greek or Roman. I'm a hero of a different kind."

"Who would you compare yourself with then." Jason asked.

She only took a minute to answer, but she said it like she had given it a lot of thought.

"Jason."


	14. Jason XIV

**XIV**

**Jason**

IT TOOK JASON TILL midnight to realize what Camila meant. "_Jason". _The name echoed in his head, surely she hadn't meant him? Then a switch clicked in his mind. _What was the first Jason...? A mortal.._.

Piper tumbled down the ladder and interrupted his thoughts.

"Slaying giants. No problem. Charming immortals. Even easier." She muttered. "Cooking. Cleaning. I'd rather fight a two headed snake with only Katoptris and a peach..."

"Speaking of Katoptris..." Piper jumped at the sound of Jason's voice. "When was the last time you contacted camp?"

"Awhile." She pulled out her dagger and looked at it's long celestial bronze blade. "I think something happened to it when it fell into the water. Nyssa did such a good job with it. It's a shame it's broken." _It's also a shame Iris Messages stopped working._

Piper seemed to think the same thing. She looked at the floor. "Why were you asking?"

"Why don't we try it again?" Jason asked hopefully. "Maybe it just needed to dry out."

Piper gave him a look like, you're hopeless. "That's a horrible explanation."

"Want to wake up Leo and ask him?"

"Ne-e-ever, would I ever do that...again" a smile played across her lips. "Last time he almost took out Percy with that hammer of his. Why do you think he sleeps with the belt on anyways?"

"Monsters and annoying friends that wake him up at ungodly hours every morning." Then both of them were laughing.

"Shh, shhh," Piper said through her giggles. "Shut it or we'll wake the others. Come on." She got up and dragged Jason to his feet. "Let's see if we can get some news."

They climb up onto the main deck. The wind whipped Piper's hair, and she continuously had to pull it out of her way. She took out Katoptris and looked at it closely. The knife caught a sliver of moonlight. An oddly colored rainbow skidded across the wood.

"Clever." Piper mused. "That's why it wouldn't work. It needs moonlight."

"How do you think she managed that?" Jason asked.

"Nyssa is a daughter of Hephaestus." Piper shrugged. "I guess that would explain why it only worked when she first showed it to us. Drachma?" She held out her hand to Jason.

"Why do you expect me to have-"

"Drachma." She repeated.

"Fine. But you have to pay Percy back." He pulled a coin out of his pocket. "And I thought you said Iris Messages didn't work?"

"They don't. But it can. See, you need a in between person. Like Fleecy or Iris. The knife is playing their role."

"But then why do you need a dr-"

"Who do you think we should contact?" She asked, flipping the coin in her hand. Apparently she wasn't going to explain anything else.

"Rachel," Jason said. "She's usually awake about now..." His voice trailed off.

"We're all worried about her. Last time we saw her she was about to get toasted by a dragon." This was a sobering thought. She tossed the coin across the sky without a word. It caught one of the grayish silver rainbows and disappeared.

"Show me Rachel Dare, Camp Half-Blood!"

The rainbow jumped into the knife like it was a lightning rod. For a second the reflection staring back at them was their own. Then there was a flicker and a dark shape shrouded in green mist came into view.

"Rachel!" Piper whispered. "Rachel pay attention." She slowly turned, bright green eyes looked at them and she shuttered. All the smoke disappeared and she fell to her knees. "Are you alright?"

Rachel stood up and brushed off her clothes. "I'm fine. I'm fine...It's that dragon. Being around something that ancient really messes with the Oracle-Piper!" Apparently it had just dawned on her who she was talking to.

"Why are you asking me? Are you alright? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes. We're alright."

Rachel let out a sigh of relief. "We were worried. You never contacted us."

"Apparently Iris messages don't work outside of North America...What about you? How is camp? Was anyone fried?"

Rachel shook her head. "No. And most of the camp is fine. Few scorch marks but fine. Oh that reminds me...Delly!" Piper looked at Jason. _Delly? _A dragon came out of the dark behind Rachel. "This is Delly." The dragon growled in its throat. Rachel gave the dragon a stern look. "Who will like the nickname her," she added to the dragon.

Piper stifled a laugh. "Really, Rachel. You named your dragon Delly?"

The dragon leaned it's head over and it hit the ground with a thump. it gave her a sad look like, Why? "It's easier to pronounce than her real name."

"It's Festus all over again." Jason said.

"Is that Jason?" Piper nodded. "Tell him I said hi!"

"You could just tell me yourself." Jason muttered. "I can hear you."

"He says hi back. How's everything at camp?"

"Stormy." Rachel said. "Lots of lightning." At bolt flashed across the black sky. "I don't know why." She shrugged. "I guess Zeus isn't in a good mood."

"What about Camp Jupiter?" Jason asked.

"We haven't heard anything. Sorry, but I have to go, bye!" The knife when blank and Piper stared into it for a long time. Finally she spoke.

"Well, that wasn't helpful."

"At least we know everyone is fine." He didn't add that they still didn't know anything about Camp Jupiter.

"I'm sure everyone is fine, Jason. Do you really expect them to contact us Greeks?"

No. But it Jason still felt uneasy. "I wonder why she left so suddenly." Piper added.

"Who knows?"


	15. Annabeth XV

**XV**

**Annabeth**

THE LABYRINTH WAS as dark as ever. Annabeth stumbled through its pitch black passageways. She had left Janus' rantings to follow a faint whisper. Most people wouldn't have even thought of it as a voice, just a draft in the never ending maze. But Annabeth knew better. She knew the voice wanted her to come.

"Annabeth!" The voice was louder this time. Annabeth stopped dead in her tracks.

"Turn left! You're about to hit a wall!" Annabeth did as the voice said.

She found herself back in the Roman Room. The fountain was empty and there didn't seem to be any doors other than the one she came in from. The room was lit by a single candle that was held by a woman.

"Mom..." Annabeth breathed.

"I'm sorry you had to travel so far. But it's best I stay as far from Gaea's forces as possible. I have no wish to be caged like Hera." Athena gestured to the fountain. "Take a seat."

Annabeth walked forward timidly and sat beside her mother. "Why am I here?"

** "**I must talk to you, mother to daughter." Athena said.

"I guess this isn't going to be one of those normal 'Mother Daughter' talks, is it?"

Athena shook her head. "Annabeth. A person must make many choices in their life. Some more than others. You have very important choice ahead of you." She looked off into the dark. "It won't be easy. Neither choice will be right or wrong. Just brave or cowardly."

Annabeth let that sink in. "So I'm the seventh Half-Blood." Annabeth said after a moment. "I can't back out."

"That's your choice Annabeth. You don't have to be a part of this. It's never too late to back out. That's what makes heroes so special, they chose to be apart of it. Not all of them know, but there's always an out. And if you didn't know there was an out, I'm not sure your choice would even matter. And your choice is coming soon."

"What is the way out?"

"Some say it's death. Others say all you have to do is turn your back on the world and just leave it to crumble. But what you think it is, that's also your choice."

"You're confusing."

Athena smiled, something she rarely did. "Good." She said. "Now you should go, Janus will be wanting a word with you."

"Right, yippy." Annabeth turned to leave, but stopped. She had one last question for her mother. "Mom... What would happen to you, and all the other gods, if Gaea woke up?"

Athena waved the question aside. "You have enough to worry about without thinking about us gods. We still have a few tricks up our sleeves. Now go, Annabeth. You deserve a good _night's_ rest." She waved her hand and Annabeth fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Annabeth! Annabeth wake-up!" Annabeth's eyes flew open. She was back in the Argo II. Shafts of light streamed through the entrance. She heard foot steps above her. Hazel hovered a few feet away.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The engine died again." Hazel informed her. "We're stuck in the middle of the desert." She stopped for a second then continued. "I came down to wake Frank up, Leo needed his help. I thought I'd wake you up, too. It was kind of difficult though."

"Sorry." Annabeth said, yawning. "What time is it?"

"Around ten." Hazel studied her. "Are you alright? You look...troubled."

_Of course I do,_ Annabeth thought. _I just remembered that I'm the seventh Half-blood of the prophecy. _Annabeth wanted to say all this, but she bit her tongue. "Of course I do, you just woke me up."

"Alright. I'll see you up on deck."


	16. Annbeth XVI

**XVI**

**Annabeth**

ANNABETH DID HER BEST to clean herself up. She pulled out her last pair of spare clothes and brushed her hair. She thought about brushing her teeth, but then she thought about the desert, and how she shouldn't waste water. Then took her knife from under her pillow and strapped it to her belt. She pulled it out of it's sheath and stared into its blade.

Annabeth hadn't had time to clean it, but somehow it had stayed sharp and shiny. She looked at her reflection in the blade. She looked different from what she remembered herself looking like, but she couldn't place what it was. Then she had to remind herself, the blade was not a looking glass. She turned away from her own reflection. Still wondering what made her seem so different.

She climbed up onto the main deck, and the heat of the desert hit her. She stumbled backwards. "Sorry!" Frank called as he chased one of his flaming arrows across the deck.

Smoke was billowing up the side of the ship, black as coal. Leo must have been working on the engine because she heard voices rising from below.

"Stupid ship! You're supposed to be a 'spanking hot war machine!'" Leo, complaining.

"It's not your fault, It's not Cabin Nines fault." Piper, trying to calm him down.

"Don't tell me who's fault it is, Piper! It's my fault if I say it's my fault!"

The next voice came from beside Annabeth.

"Will you guys stop bickering?" Percy yelled. "You sound like an old married couple!"

"SHUT UP!" Piper and Leo yelled. A wrench and a box of breath mints flew into the air. Percy ducked as the wrench flew over his head.

"What is going on?" Jason asked, pinching his nose. Apparently the wrench Percy had ducked hit him square in the nose. Piper climbed up from the desert, head just poking above the railing. She eyed Jason's nose.

"Apparently me and Leo are bickering like an old married couple." Then she dropped back down, and then suddenly they all started cracking up. Jason just shook his head.

"What's going on down there?" Camilla appeared from behind one of the Argo's white sails. When she saw Jason's' bleeding nose a smile lit up on her face. She jumped down from the mast and landed on her bare feet. Camilla's auburn hair had been pulled back into a long braid, and her white dress sparkled. Somehow she had managed to keep clean. Another one of her tricks, no doubt.

"I can't believe it!" She said in mock surprise. "Jason! Who fixed your nose?"

"Haha, very bunny." Jason said pinching his nose harder.

Frank and Hazel appeared on the other side of the deck.

"Do you think it's broken?" Hazel asked, as she walked up.

"I bink."

Hazel giggled a little. "Jason, Jason, Jason..."

While everyone was occupied with Jason, Percy pulled Annabeth out of earshot.

He was wearing the same thing as Annabeth, just an orange T-shirt and a pair of jeans. The only thing different was the expression he wore. "You look worried." Percy said, looking worried himself. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing..." Annabeth tried to change the subject. "My mother visited me last night."

"In the ship?" Percy looked around, like the goddess of wisdom was stalking him.

For the first time that day, Annabeth smiled. "No, Percy. In the labyrinth, in a dream."

"What'd she say?"

Annabeth wanted to say "Nothing much" but she ended up spilling the entire story. Percy just listened, and by the time she was done, Annabeth as sure he thought she was crazy. Percy looked as if he'd just read his own obituary, or in this case, Annabeth's.

"Annabeth...You...You don't think..." He was interrupted by shouting, and Annabeth never got to hear what he was going to say.

At the other end of the ship Thalia was yelling. "-You know it's a horrible idea! You just don't want me around cause you're worried about me!"

Annabeth gave Percy a look and rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go see what all the fuss is about." Annabeth dragged him over.

Jason's nose had apparently been fixed, but it was still bent at an odd angle.

Frank and Hazel stood a few feet away, out of the blast zone, encase one of them decided to shock the other.

"I'm the leader of this quest," Jason said, "And you'll do as I say!"

"I'm your older sister and you can't tell me what to do! I'm not even part of this quest!" Annabeth had never seen Thalia so frazzled. At least not with her frustration aimed at her brother. Annabeth nudged Percy in the ribs.

"He's not the only leader on this quest. Break them up, Percy."

Percy did not want to break them up, and Annabeth could tell. They'd both learned from experience not to get in Thalia's way when she was angry.

"Guys, stop it." Percy tried to say, but they couldn't hear him.

"It's just that stupid prophecy, isn't it?" Thunder rumbled in the sky. "You're afraid that if I stick around I'll die! I can't live forever, Jason, even if I am a hunter!" She pointed at the sky, and even though it was the middle of the day, Percy saw a faint outline of a constellation in the sky.

"STOP IT!"

Suddenly Thalia's mouth closed. She looked like she desperately wanted to open it again, but Piper's charmspeak held her back.

Piper appeared on the deck again. "I don't want to hear anymore arguing from you two. This is exactly what Geae wants, for us to be divided. Anyway, you're giving me a headache." She jumped over the rail, apparently happy with the way Thalia was tongue tied. "So, what's this plan?"

"I thought we could send a few of us ahead to scout out the Doors of Death." Jason said. "So we have something to go from when we get there."

"'A few of us' being me." Thalia said.

"How would we get there?" Hazel piped up, and Percy thought he heard a bit of excitement in her voice.

"I haven't actually thought of that yet." Jason said. "Leo might be able to cook -"

" - Arion!" Hazel interrupted.

Jason looked at her skeptically. "You want Leo to cook your immortal horse?"

"No." Hazel said, too excited to care that Jason offered to cook her horse. "Arion can take us too Rome. With him it would take a two hours. He can get us there."

Frank, turned green. "I am not riding that horse again."

Jason was pacing back and forth. "You don't have too." He said. "Hazel how fast can he get here?"

"Full speed? Morning at the latest. I don't know how to contact him though, he's sorta free spirited."

"That's fine." Jason said. "It's something to go by."

"Whos going?" Everyone looked around for the voice, but Jason just looked up.

"Definitely not you, Camilla," he said. "You're still technically out prisoner."

"You never let me do anything." She complained. "Did you forget I was the one who saved all your butts on that pirate ship?"

Jason ignored her. "Well obviously Hazel has to go, and Thalia's agreed to it..."

"No I haven't."

_This is my chance, _Annabeth thought. _I need to go to Rome_.

"I'll do it." She said. "I'll go ahead with the others."

Percy opened his mouth to say something. Maybe something to do with what he hadn't said earlier. No matter what it was he was going to say, he never got the chance.


	17. Percy XVII

**XVII**

**Percy**

IT STARTED AS A distant rumble. No one would have heard it if anyone had been moving. If anyone had been breathing.

"Leo!" Piper shouted. "Get up here!"

"I'll be there in minute! I think I see what's wrong!" He called back.

Percy just stood there, stunned, still staring at Annabeth. Then, a thick cloud of sand covered the sky and sent them spiraling into darkness. The next second the floor was knocked from under his feet. Percy heard a scream, and somehow he knew it was Annabeth. He tried his best to regain his footing, his eyes shut tight against the sandstorm. Percy reached out for Annabeth, and for a horrible moment he was afraid she had been tossed overboard.

"Annabeth!" He got a mouthful of sand, but he was rewarded with a faint call.

A hand grasped his shoulder and started pulling him down. Next thing he knew, he was falling below deck. The noise was quieter there, but not by much. "Annabeth!" Percy tried to stand up, blinking sand out of his eyes. But he fell back to one knee as the ship was lurched back again.

Someone dropped beside him. "I'm right here, Percy" Annabeth said, her curly blond hair working its way into view. "I'm right here."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She said, taking his hands in hers and pulling him to his feet. "I'm fine." There was something in her voice that made Percy think she didn't mean it. Percy saw the others, all standing in their own little sand piles. But something was missing.

"Where are Piper and Leo?" Hazel asked.

"They're still out there," Jason said. "I'm going to go help them."

"No, wait," Annabeth said. "Frank, Hazel, come with me. Thalia, you go with Jason and help Leo get the ship fixed. Percy... Camilla... You two stay down here. You can take inventory or something. And don't..." She took a second to consider her parting words. "...Don't do anything stupid."

It's a funny thing, the power of suggestion.

"I can't believe I'm helping you," Percy whispered.

"We're on the same side now, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it," Camilla whispered back.  
>"Do <em>not <em>call me that."

"Right. That name is reserved for Wise Gi - Ow! What was that for!"

"For calling her Wise Girl."

Percy and Camilla They were leaning against the rails, eavesdropping on the others. Most of the sand had settled but a few grains hung in the air, giving the word a slightly sparkly appearance in the oncoming dusk. The monster was nowhere to be seen, and more unnervingly, neither were Annabeth, Hazel, or Frank.

"Leo, what's taking so long? The others might need our help."

"I'm doing the best I can, Piper." He must have crawled deep into the machinery, because Leo's voice echoed through the ship. "It's worse than I thought."

Thalia, sounding impatient said, "What happened anyway? The ship was fine earlier."

There was a moment of silence as Leo thought about it for a moment, then there was a loud clang as he dropped something.

"Piper, can you hand me a screwdriver?"

The rest of the conversation was drowned out as Camilla started to whisper fast and as quietly as possible. "Now listen closely, Percy. I need you to keep them distracted while I get some things from Leo's tool belt."

"But isn't he wearing it?" Percy whispered back.

"You heard him. I think he had to take it off to climb back into the machinery." She shoved him to his feet. "Just do it." Percy jumped over the railing. Unlike cats, Percy never seemed to land on his feet. That day was no exception.

"Percy!" Piper said. "Are you alright?"

_No, not really,_ Percy thought. "Yeah, I'm fine." Brushed himself off nonchalantly.

"What'd you do?"

"I - uh - fell."

"Or was pushed," Camilla called, leaning over the railing. "Come on, you cluts."

Percy didn't like his new nickname. Maybe he should have let her call him seaweed brain. He climbed back up to the deck. Camilla pulled him roughly to the other side of the ship. She held up a canteen, a box of matches, and two brightly colored bandannas.

"How did you do that?"

Camilla threw him the blue bandanna, tying the orange one around her neck. "I wasn't lying when I said I was a legacy of Hecate."

"So this is all we need?" Percy asked.

Camilla nodded. "This isn't the hard part, though."

"Then what's the hard part?"

"Come see," Camilla said. "You're going to help me save your girlfriend."

As unusual as it sounds, Annabeth's plan was failing miserably. As Percy and Camilla ran towards the sandstorm, Percy heard a familiar sound. Like a heartbeat, steady, strong. Like the pounding of hooves. Something flew past Percy's vision. A streak of tan going the speed of sound. Something like a sonic boom echoed over the empty desert, and Percy was sure he knew what it was. Hidden somewhere in the storm there was a yell.

"Frank!" Hazel called. Arion slowed down to normal-horse speed.

"I'm alright! Ahg!"

"Frank!"

"I tripped!"

In the face of apparent danger, Hazel still managed to laugh. She turned Arion around, getting ready to run again, when she glanced their way. She did a double take.

"Percy! What are you doing down here?"

Percy didn't know what to say to that. _He _didn't even know why he was there.

Camilla answered for him. "To help, obviously." An arrow flew out of the sandstorm, nearly missing Hazel.

"Hazel!" Annabeth called, her voice faint. "What are you doing? Help me!"

Hazel bit her lip, looking uncertain. Arion mirrored her, trotting nervously. "Do whatever you want," She finally said. "I'd never tell Annabeth this, but it isn't her brightest of plans." That said, they took off.

"Percy." Camilla's voice was shaking. She reached for one of her swords with trembling fingers. "I'm going to go help them. Keep it distracted, keep them all distracted."

"Keep what distracted? Why are you helping us?"

"You really are slow to pick up on things, seaweed brain. I'm _on your side_."

In all the time they had been on the Argo II, Percy had always viewed Camilla as an enemy. But in that moment, Percy realized that all of that time, he'd been overlooking someone special. A valuable ally. Someone who could very well answer all their questions.

_I'm on your side._

"Okay," Percy said. "What exactly are you doing, anyways."

"Oh like you could keep up." Camilla rolled her eyes, then smiled, "You'll see."


	18. Percy XVIII

**XVIII**

**Percy**

IT WAS EASY TO DISTRACT ANNABETH. Percy ran into the sandstorm with no idea what he was running into. An arrow whizzed by Percy's head and flew into the middle of the storm. There was a muffled noise, like screaming with a sock in its mouth.

"Frank!" Annabeth yelled. Her voice was distant and scrambled in the wind.

"Sorry!" Frank yelled back. "It's going to fast, and the wind isn't helping!"

Frank shot another arrow. It missed its target completely. Then Percy got a glimpse of Annabeth. And Annabeth got a glimpse of Percy. Then everything went to Taurus.

Frank was knocked to the ground, and Camilla grabbed and raised his bow, an arrow pointed at something in the distance. Then Percy saw it. Fifteen feet tall, two scaly head's locked together as it rolled around like a possessed, over sized Goodyear tire.

Annabeth ran to Franks aid, unknowing that by doing so, she would be ending any chance at killing this _thing. _Annabeth slashed with her knife, catching Camilla off guard. Without aiming, Camilla let loose the arrow, raising the bow to block Annabeth's blow.

Amazingly, the arrow must have hit its target, because there was a wail followed by a thud that shook Percy's brain out of place.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Annabeth shouted. "I thought you might be useful, but all you've done is almost get us killed!"

It seemed as though there was a ring of truth to that statement.

"You're right," Camilla whispered. "It's my fault. Gaea sent the monster to kill _me_. She knew what it meant to me. I'm sorry you got caught up in my own personal nightmare."

Annabeth didn't even blink.

"Let me make it up to you. I can help you. I know things that you haven't even dreamed of. Starting with how to kill this monster. If you kill me now, you'll only have another monsters on your tail." Still, Annabeth didn't move. The world could have been falling apart around her and she would have never shifted her gaze. She'd _never _trust Camilla. Ever.

"Killing doesn't help with anything," she continued. "You might as well be digging your own grave." Camilla kept her ground, but her hand shook slightly. "Take it from someone who knows." Annabeth prepared to free her knife. Percy didn't want to know what her plans for it where.

"Listen to her, Annabeth, just listen to her!" Percy didn't know what made him say it, but it worked. "Give her a chance. The worst she could do is get herself killed."

"Or kill the rest of us in the process." Annabeth sounded cold. Percy thought the tone was very unflattering. It made her voice have an odd rasp to it. It wasn't like her.

Annabeth yanked her knife away, giving Camilla a look that said, _this isn't over. _

Camilla looked at Percy. "I'll tell you everything I know as soon as I get back." She said, pulling out the flask of liquid and loosened the stopper with her teeth. "I promise."

Only she never came back.

The sound of rumbling began again for a minute or so, before it stopped again. Soon most of the sand has settled. It was eerily quiet, and Percy was beginning to feel dread settling in the bottom of his stomach. Soon, Frank and Hazel went back to the ship to tell the others the good news. After they left, Percy got up and started to sift through the monster dust.

It didn't take long to figure out what Camilla had done. When she had disappeared, she had climbed into the monster's mouth through a gap she had made with the explosive arrow. Then she had poured gasoline down its throat - the mystery liquid that had inhabited the canteen. Then, she had lit it with a match.

Most of it was guesswork, but as Percy and Annabeth shifted through the rather large pile of monster dust, they came across a few clues. The remains of the canteen. A half-burned match. They had all been charred to a crisp. Percy couldn't help but wonder if that had been Camilla's fate, too.

A single tooth lay on the ground. Annabeth kicked the tooth, and jumped back when her shoe began to sizzle. "Poison." She said. "Its teeth were poisonous." her tone had a hint of disgust. She looked up at Percy, who was standing a few feet away.

"You think she's dead?" Percy asked.

"Guess so, it's a shame too. The information she knew would have been useful. Her death is going to set us back"

Percy felt hot anger rising in his throat. This was a _person_ Annabeth was talking about, not some monster. "Is that really all you care about? How useful she could have been? She wasn't much younger than Hazel. She was still a kid."

"She deserved it."

"How do you know? You didn't know her!"

"Neither did you!" Annabeth shouted.

"She sacrificed her life to help us! She was a hero."

"Oh get your head out of your idealistic ass, Percy."

"Whatever. I'm going back to the ship." Percy kicked a bent up sword. "Tell me when you start acting like a human being again. I'll be waiting."

Percy wasn't sure, but he thought she started crying. "Percy I'm sorry!" she called. But Percy just kept going.


	19. Jason XIX

**XIX**

**JASON**

IT WAS DARK. Jason was sitting against the rails, listening to the sounds of Leo working on the engine. The only thing that let Jason know Leo hadn't fallen asleep were the sound of clanking and muffled curses. It was getting cold and the moon was shining high above the ground. The sand dunes cast eerie shadows in the moonlight. The went on for miles, the dunes. They shifted in the wind, and for a moment, Jason thought he heard a chilly laugh on the breeze.

_It must be Geae, _he thought, _Laughing at us. We must be so amusing, stuck on the ground, nearly in her grasps-_ Jason looked up. The wind was still. There wasn't a single sound, not even the faint laugh... Not even the sound of a mechanic, working deep within the ship. Jason turned around and looked over the railing. "Leo!" Not a sound, not a breath, not a soul. Jason started to panic. "Leo!"

"Wah-?" Leo jumped awake and hit his head on something. "Jason what-" He clambered out of the machinery. "Is there another monster?!" Leo looked around frantically.

"No...No I just-" Jason didn't know how to explain.

Leo dropped his wrench to the ground. "Jason, bro, buddy." Leo shook his head. "You have done nothing but worry yourself sick since we left Camp Half-Blood. Freaking out is _Pipers job._ You, my friend, are cooler than that._"_

Jason slid back down the rails, his head aching and his palms sweaty. "Everything is completely and totally _screwed up."_ He said.

_Don't despair, _a dreadfully familiar voice said in his mind. _Things will work out, in the end. They always do._ Juno sounded so confident that Jason was sure she was wrong. Juno seemed to hear him think this and with a loud snap, she disappeared from his mind. Jason didn't know how he knew she had gone. Their connection seemed to be getting stronger. It was freaking him out.

"That's it," Leo said, throwing Jason back into the situation at hand. "That's it! I know what the problem is!"

A sleepy-eyed Piper appeared on deck, pulling her hair away from her eyes. "What's with all the shouting?"

"I think Leo found the problem." Jason said, trying his hardest to stay awake.

Leo laughed, sounding a bit crazed. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. "It was a screw. All this time. It was a screw." Leo fell into the sand, laughing at his foolishness.

Piper walked over to railing. "You are crazy," She said, rolling her eyes. "That's for sure." After a few seconds of clanking, Leo climbed to the deck, smiling still.

"It should work now." The engine purred to life as if it was responding to his voice. He stood at the controls, his eyes alight with excitement. "Lets get this baby off the ground!"

By five the next morning, they were halfway across the desert. Leo set it on auto pilot and crashed in his hammock. Minutes later he was snoring. Frank was reading a book called _The Art of War, _and Percy sulked about, not saying a word to anybody. He hadn't said goodbye to Annabeth, and he seemed to be regretting it. She, Thalia, and Hazel had set out two days before to find clues of Nico's whereabouts, and possibly the doors of Death.

Jason and Piper both stayed out on deck, watching the first rays of the sun wash over the land below them. When the silence finally go to awkward to bear, Piper stood and pull out her knife. "I'm going to try to contact the others, while there is still some moonlight."

The image was faint in the dawn light, but Jason could barely make out a dark hotel room. There were two beds, one lump each. A figure sat up in one of the beds.

"Who's there?" Thalia's voice asked.

"It's me, Piper. I'm using an Iris message."

"Have you fixed the ship? Are you on your way?"

"We're at least a day's journey from Rome, maybe longer. Have you found anything?"

Thalia looked around the room, as if expecting someone to be overhearing.

"Is Percy with you?"

"No, just Jason. Do you want me to-"

"No!" She half shouted. "No," She said quietly, this time. "To be honest, all we've done is loose something. Annabeth ditched us as soon as we got here. Haven't seen her since."

"Really? Do you think she's alright?"

Thalia shook her head. "Don't know." The sun began to rise from the sky, and the image started to fade. "I'll see you guys soon. " Thalia said, she waved her hand and the image disappeared.

Two days later on the 11th of August, Rome appeared on the horizon. It was like a much larger version of New Rome, except there were modern buildings mixed in the city. Jason had never seen something so familiar so far away from home. _Home._ The word seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks. It had been so long ago that he had been at a place he could call home.

They landed a few miles from the city limits. There was an odd chill in the air. Piper was the first to take notice. "Is just me, or does it feel like a storm is blowing in?"

"It's not just you," Leo said. "But seeing as this is Rome and we're half-bloods, it's probably not a normal storm, either."

"You're just a ray of sunshine," Piper said, "Aren't you?"

They decided to leave the ship in a field and walk the rest of the way. It would look far too suspicious to come riding in a giant warship. Leo was hesitant to leave it, but finally, after giving the hull a good-bye pat, he agreed.

The walk there was much easier than navigating the confusing, crowded streets that hid behind the city limits. And as familiar as it seemed from above, Jason had never felt so far away from home. They found themselves getting more and more lost in the hours that followed. Once, Jason was separated from the others, and left to roam the streets alone. As night began to fall, the denseness of the crowd lightened. Jason had just spotted the others in the dim light, asking a street vendor for directions, when a blur knocked into him and sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Sorry! Sorry!" The person squeaked. She helped him to his feet, and as he stood, he got a good look at the girls face.

Her hair was darkened by dirt and sweat, and her orange T-shirt was covered by a worn out jacket. It looked and smelled like it had been taken from the trash. The one thing that gave her away were her eyes. They were still a very dark, very intelligent, gray. Annabeth pushed him between two buildings, all the time her eyes trained on the sky. A flock of birds flew by, blurred and untraceable. Only when the last one had gone did she relax.

"Are you alright?" Annabeth asked. "I'm sorry I knocked you down."

"It's alright. What about you? Are you alright?"

She shrugged. "As good as I can be." Annabeth stood up and looked around the corner. "What was that chasing you?" Jason asked.

"Stymphalian birds," replied Annabeth. "They've been on my tail since lunchtime." Annabeth unsheathed her knife, its blade glowing in the last dying rays of the sun. "Come on."

Together, the continued looking for the others. Finally they found them, a few blocks away, in front of the hotel they supposed to meet Hazel and Thalia at. Percy, who hadn't been told about Annabeth disappearance, looked at her oddly. This look disappear, though, when she leaned into to kiss him.

They all walked into the lobby together. The lobby was well lit and filled with brightly colored furniture. The front desk was made of mahogany with a slab of marble as the top. A crystal bowl with mints stood upon it, beside them was a shiny brass bell.

"This place is _too nice._" Frank said.

"Everything about it just screams _trap_." Percy agreed.

"Come on guys," Annabeth said, "We've been walking into traps all our lives. Besides, there's Thalia."

Thalia was sitting on one of the fluffy sunset orange couches. When she saw them, she smiled and waved. When she saw Jason, her look became less cheerful. She must have still been mad at him. "Hey." She showed them over to the front desk, where she confronted the clerk. After speaking a few halted sentences in italian, she held out a golden drachma. The clerk nodded, handing her a set of keys.

As they walked away, Piper asked, "Is this some kind of half-blood hotel?"

"No," Thalia replied. "They just aren't picky about how they're paid."

Thalia led them to a door and pushed it open. They climbed up two flights of stairs to the third floor. When they got to room _380 _she tossed the keys with unnecessary force at Jason. "You guys can share that room. We'll be in here." With that she opened the door to room _378_ and pulled the other girls inside.

The whole idea of staying in a hotel was absurd to Jason. They had a giant warship at their disposal. Who needed a hotel room? Then everything was made clear. The answer was two words; running water. Jason had nearly forgotten what it was like to be clean. The showers weren't as luxurious as Roman baths, but they were a close second.

After everyone had cleaned up, (and Thalia deemed the mini bar off limits) the boys went out in search of food. Meanwhile, Thalia and Hazel went off to wash everyone's clothes. (Because they smelled like cow.) Jason had just lain down to take a nap when there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"Me," Pipers voice answered. "May I come in?"

Jason got up and opened the door that separated the two rooms. Piper looked at him, smiling. "It's so stuffy in here. Wanna go look around?"

"You sure it's okay with the others?" Jason asked, unsure.

"'Course not. But they won't know we're going until we're gone."

"What about Annabeth?"

"Passed out. Come on. It's not like we're leaving the hotel."

She was right, it wasn't like they were leaving the hotel. It should be fine, it was stuffy in there. Or maybe it's the charmspeak talking. Jason didn't know. Either way, they went anyways. There was nothing romantic about it, they were just two friends who could very well be dead in the next three days.

They went outside and stood in front of the hotel, talking about normal teenage things, like books and movies and music. Jason, who thought he'd gotten to know pretty much everything about Piper, learned new things about her. When she was little, her dad used to play his old forty-fives and dance her around the room. If she could have eaten anything at that moment, it would have been a milk shake. And she went on, talking about her childhood, sometime foundly, others with a grimace on her face. She asked a lot about Jason and camp Jupiter, but he was vague with his answers. Most of his memories included Reyna and Octavian, two people Jason really didn't want to talk about. Especially with Piper. Only when they were chased inside by the dark outlines of birds circling over head did they return to their rooms. Thalia was furious. They'd disappeared without a word and seriously freaked everyone out. What if they had been captured by Gaea or attacked by monsters or-

She would have kept going if Piper hadn't stepped in, snapped her fingers accusingly and told her to be quiet. "Go to sleep." And Thalia fell into Jason's arms, snoring lightly. They laid her down on her bed and left her to sleep. They'd had a long day, longer than usual, and they all started nodding off, one by one, until Jason was the only one awake. He would have stared at the ceiling all night if a soft voice hadn't whispered in his ear.

"Go to sleep." And he did. He would have stayed asleep, too, for a very very long time... If he hadn't been woken by a scream.


	20. Jason XX

**XX**

**JASON**

JASON JUMPED AWAKE, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Everything around him was a blur of color, like an old tape when it was being rewound. He heard muffled noises. The clanking of swords. A rumble of thunder. Screams. Then it all stopped.

Jason was no longer laying in a bed, but on a hard slab of rock. It was daylight, and the world around him was grey. A cold breeze ruffled his hair and cut through his skin like daggers. Below him laid a valley, shrouded in mist.

"Jason." Her voice cracked from the cold. Piper crawled over to him. Her hands shaking, she brushed a bit of his hair away from his face. Her eyes and nose were red. Her lips were cracked and bloody.

"Don't move," she said softly. "I don't want it to start bleeding again..."

"W-what happened?" Jason asked with surprising effort.

"You were stabbed, don't you remember? It's a shame to, it was just healing..."

"What?" Piper gave him a look like she thought he had hit his head, hard.

It was a strange dream, for a dream it was. But it was so real, down to the rough rock that he lay upon and the smell of blood that hung in the air. It made him feel uneasy. It felt like...like a memory. A sick feeling was building in Jason's chest. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," Piper said. She seemed to be holding something back. The dream was starting to fade and suddenly Jason felt this urgency. Like the fate of the entire quest depended upon Pipers last two words. "She's awake." Then Jason woke up.

He was in the hotel again his eyes wide and terrified. It all had been a dream, the work of his mind in the dead of night, nothing more. _Unless Gaea sent it to mess with you._ Jason thought to himself. Or maybe it as Juno, he really couldn't tell anymore.

So where do we go from here?" Piper was asking.

They were sitting at a cafe near the middle of the city. Tourists walked by with disposable cameras without a care in the world other than where to eat for lunch. Jason couldn't help but wonder what would happen to them when the world ended.

"Has anything weird been going on?" Frank asked. "Weird things are good leads."

"The Colosseum is closed for refurbishment." Hazel offered.

Annabeth nearly choked on some water. "Why would they close the Colosseum for 'refurbishment'?"

"Don't know," Thalia said, "But it sounds like a lead to me."

"Or a trap." Annabeth muttered. Frank was quick to call her out on this.

"Weren't you the one who said we've been walking into traps all our lives? Why is this any different?"

"It..." Annabeth seemed to struggle with what she should say. "It just is, alright?"

"Why don't we take a vote?" Hazel suggested.

"But there are eight of us," Annabeth pointed out. "What if its even?"

Everyone made a point to raise their hands in agreement. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "So, which way do we go?" Everyone pointed in a different direction. "Oh," Annabeth said, sitting back. "This will be fun."

After three hours, a run in with a flock of killer pigeons (again), and at least three failed attempts at asking for directions, they found the Colosseum. There were no construction crews in sight, only a few security guards and sign that said _Closed for refurbishment _in four different languages. One of the guards stepped forward, with a smile that didn't seem quite human smeared across his face.

"We've been expecting you," He said in a gravely voice, eyes on Annabeth.

Annabeth stepped forward, eyes determined. "Just follow my lead," She said to the people giving her odd looks. "Athena always has a plan."


	21. Annabeth XXI

**XXI**

**Annabeth**

ANNABETH HELD HER GROUND. The others around her stepped back as the security guards came forward. "Stop," Annabeth said holding up her knife. She tried hard to keep her hand from shaking; she wasn't used to holding it with her left hand. Blood dripped from her right.

"Stop," Annabeth repeated. Not to her surprise, they continued to advance.

"Annabeth, what's your plan?" Percy whispered in her ear. Annabeth jumped. She had forgotten that he was still standing beside her.

The guards uniforms began to rip as they grew in size. There guns began shaping into spears, and their hair grew long and shaggy. Annabeth saw their names stitched onto the uniform. In ancient Greek they read, _Otus and Ephialtes._

_This isn't good, _Annabeth thought. She could think of only one possible plan. "Run!"

They sprinted into the Colosseum as the doorway behind them burst apart. Percy lost hold on her hand and skidded away. One of the now forty foot giants swung his spear. Annabeth fell to the ground, missing the spear by inches.

Out of the corner of her eye Annabeth saw something-or someone- burst into flames. Percy grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come on."

They dropped behind a bolder where Thalia and Jason were hiding/arguing.

"What do we do?"

"What else do we have to do? We fight them!"

"That'd be suicide!"

"Like that would be anything new."  
>"No time to argue!" Percy turned to Annabeth. "What's your plan?"<p>

"I don't have one."

"I thought you said you had a plan."

"I was lying."

"I guess we'll wing it then." Then Percy jumped out from behind their hiding place and drew Riptide. He gave Annabeth a look, one she didn't recognize, then ran off to help Frank, who was single-handedly holding one of the giants at bay. Thalia and Jason quickly followed, each going for a different opponent.

Annabeth was alone, hand shaking from loss of blood. She looked down on her wrist, which she had so conveniently cut when she was thrown off the giants back. She ripped a bit of her orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt and wrapped it around her wrist.

Annabeth peaked over the chunk of wall. Frank was shooting one of the giants with hydra arrows while Thalia weaved back and forth through the rubble. While her friends fought around her Annabeth felt remarkably alone.

To her left Thalia, Percy, Hazel and Leo fought one giant, while Jason, Frank and Piper fought the other. Annabeth took a moment to consider her options. She could go help Jason, who had just nearly been stepped on, or Percy, who she really wanted to be near. But there had to be a reason there were giants there in the first place, didn't there? Why would Gaea send two giants to guard somewhere that wasn't important?

Then Annabeth made a decision.

She skirted around the edges of the Colosseum. She looked in the side of the walls for niches or secret entrances. It was like finding the entrance to the Labyrinth. Impossible to find. But maybe that meant that you could stumble on it by accident.

Annabeth was checking out a suspicious crack when a yell caught her attention.

She turned slowly, afraid of what she might see.

With one mighty swing of Hera's gladius, Jason cut the hand of the giant Ephialtes. Hera must have been helping, for the giant began to disintegrate in bursts of colored light. Not like a rainbow, but more like the tails of a peacock, spreading across the landscape. At the same moment, Thalia was locked in battle with Otus. Her spear was imbedded in his stomach, and the only thing that kept him at bay was her shield.

The shriek from his brother caught the giants attention. Otus, with a sweep of his spear sent those fighting him to the ground. He turned to Jason, eyes alight with fire. He swung his spear. Jason had nowhere to go, no time to drop. It ripped through his flesh, ripped apart his lungs and threw him backward. His sword was sent flying.

It landed right at Thalia's feet.

Without hesitation, she drew her brother's sword from the ground and rose it high. Two flashes of light flew through the air. One like lightning, the other a streak of moonlight. They hit the sword and for a moment Thalia was covered in a glow so powerful Annabeth had to look away.

When Annabeth looked again, the sword was glowing white hot.

It was eerie, how quickly it had become silent. Thalia stood in the charred ashes of the giant. She dropped the sword as if it was burning her. Annabeth heard it faintly as it clattered the ground. Annabeth couldn't help but wonder what had happen to its owner.


	22. Annabeth XXII

**XXII**

**Annabeth**

ANNABETH SAT NEXT to Thalia, feeling useless. Even though his body had grown cold nearly an hour before, Thalia still held on to Jason's hand like a lifeline.

"Jason, Jason, wake up, please," Thalia begged in a broken voice.

"Thalia," Annabeth said quietly. "He's gone, please let go."

Thalia didn't listen, just scrunched her eyes shut, her silver clad form shaking. The setting sun danced across the band woven in her hair, wreathing her head in golden fire.

"Thalia," Piper croaked. Leo had his arms around her, and Annabeth thought he was the only thing keeping her on her feet. "Let. Go. Of. Him." Her voice was cracking but strong.

With much effort, Thalia let go of her brother, letting out a cry. She collapsed into Annabeth. Pressing her face against Annabeth's shoulder, Thalia murmured, "It's all my fault, my fault. I was supposed to die not him, not him, never him. _Oh gods no._"

Percy kneeled beside them. "The sun's setting, we should go back."

"No." This time it was Annabeth who spoke. "Those giants weren't guarding nothing. I know the doors are here, I just don't know how to find them."

It was at that moment that the sun touched the walls of the Coliseum, and the ground rumbled. Most of their battle had taken place in the seating section, but as the middle began to collapse, the shape of a staircase formed.

"Well then," Hazel said. "I guess we know what our next course of action is."

Thalia pulled away from Annabeth. "You go on ahead. I'll stay here."

"Thalia, we need your help, what if -"

"No, you don't. I'm not one of the seven, you know that. I can't follow you past here."

"Thalia -"

"Go."

Then with shaking legs, Annabeth stood, drawing her knife. She stepped over Jason's body and began walking to the staircase. She knew the others would follow, but she also knew she had to do this alone. Whatever battle lay beyond her was hers and hers alone. Her foot hit the first step and the ground shook. _How foolish she must think I am_, Annabeth thought. _Going straight into the very heart of the sleeping earth. I know it's a trap, but I'm not taking the coward's way out. I am the seventh half-blood of the prophecy and I _will_ serve my purpose. I will do my part to save humanity, to keep the peace. _

_ Why? _the gravely voice of Gaea asked her.

_Because I'm a hero. Taking stupid risks is part of the job description._

Gaea fell silent. And then Annabeth's foot hit the soft earth, and she fell.

The force of the impact sent a wave of pain through her body. A crack like a falling tree echoed in the stone room, and her eyes blacked out for a moment. Gravel rained on her, cutting her cheeks and grinding into the wounds. A larger section of the staircase hit her shoulder and she shrieked. Her sight just soon enough to see the earth heal the hole in the roof. The only light in the room was from two torches on the other side of the room. Lack of light was the least of her worries as the warmth of her blood spread across her knee.

With a shaking breath, she stood, placing most her weight on the large piece of staircase that had fallen beside her. "Gaea!" she said. "Where is he, I know he's here!"

Silently, a small wall of dirt fell away, revealing a cage, and inside it, a boy.

"Nico, can you hear me? Nico look at me!" Annabeth hobbled over to him. He was malnourished, and would probably have a killer neck ache when he got out of the tiny cage. He _would _get out of the cage, Annabeth decided. He shifted, as if in response.

_Maybe_ he seemed to think.

She finally took a moment to look at the other side of the room. Flanked by the two green torches was a set of double doors, fifteen feet tall and opened inwards. There were no handles on Annabeth's side of the doors. Annabeth thought about her chat with her mom and wondered if she was finally understanding. _Some say it's death, _Athena had said. _Others say all you have to do is turn your back on the world and leave it to crumble_.

She stood a little straighter, and called out in no real direction to the woman she knew was listening. "Gaea! I know you're listening, even in your sleep you know I'm here and you know what I'm thinking." She took a painful step forward. "These doors mean nothing to you, don't they? This is a trap, for me, cause you're scared of me. I'm too smart. Do you honestly think I'll sacrifice myself to save Nico? Leave all the people who need me behind"

No answer.

"Let me ask this. If I do this, will you let him go?"

_Some say it's death._

The lock on the cage clicked, and the door opened.

_Others say all you have to do is turn your back on the things you care about._

Annabeth felt Nico's hand on her ankle.

_Death isn't the out, because by not dying here, I would be turning my back on the thing I care most about. My friends._

"Sometimes the right choice isn't always the wisest one. But I know your game." Annabeth's voice had risen to a shout, and her voice echoed through the room, through her head, and into the ground.

_And you would die like this? Your friends need you, _Gaea finally replied.

"And die a worthless death by the hand of you or your minions. No! No, I would much rather die here, on my own terms. Because you can't touch me here, not now." Annabeth walked over to the doors, leaning on the wall as she went. Annabeth stepped on the threshold, holding herself up right on her own. "Nico, tell the others I'm sorry, and tell Percy I love him, 'kay? I'm not doing this because I'm mad at him, I'm doing this because I know I have to."

She took a final step and collapsed, a horrible pain overtaking her body. There should have been a thousand monsters here, twice the number of ghosts, but all there was was a girl, still a child by most standards, forcing herself up one final time. She touched the doors, one with each palm, her skin burning. She through her weight against them, and they groaned.

"Annabeth! Annabeth don't! It's a trap they aren't -"

"I know, I know!"

"Annabeth... They need you. To lead them, they'll be lost -"

"You're more use to them than I am. Lead them, please."

"I can't!"

"Yes you can." And then Annabeth saw the dirt wall begin to crumble, and she knew that all her resolve would seep out of her when she saw Percy's face on the other side.

She spoke her last words, then slammed the doors.

"_They underestimate you. And that makes them weak."_


	23. Percy XXIII

**XXIII**

**Percy**

PERCY didn't remember hitting the ground. He opened his eyes to complete darkness, head throbbing, eyes blurry, cheek ground across the remains of the staircase. He lifted his head slightly, and he had to close his eyes for a moment. Pain numbed his brain. Dizziness muddled any sense of direction. There was a shift in the inky blackness, and a hand rested on his shoulder. A bolt of adrenaline shot through his body, and Percy jumped back onto his knees, roughly drawing Riptide from his pocket. A burst of bronze light illuminated the room.

There was a scream; a clatter as Riptide fell from Percy's hand, having struck flesh. He scrambled on all fours towards the whimper, silently calling out Piper's name in his mind. He had no air to call out with, breathless from both shock and a broken rib.

Percy found her hand among the rocks and Piper dug her fingernails into his palm.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I thought you were a monster."

She moaned a faded response, slightly annoyed in tone.

"Where are we?" Leo's voice came from the edge of Riptide's light.

"Underground, obviously." Percy could hear the pain in Piper's voice.

"Where's Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"Not here. Percy bring your sword closer so I can see just how much of me you _lacerated._ And not to close, please." Percy complied.

"What about Frank and Hazel?"

"They were a bit further behind, probably _not_ underground."

When Piper had assessed the damage, Percy dropped Riptide and made ready to call Annabeth's name. And then he heard her.

"_I know your game!" _she shouted. Her next words made his stomach drop and he did scream her name. _"No, I would much rather die here, on my own terms!"_

He beat on the tightly packed wall of dirt between them. "Annabeth! _Annabeth!_"

And then the wall was crumbling.

"_...And that makes them weak," _he heard her say.

And before the doors had completely shut, he saw her one last time, her face twisted in pain, and then the door slammed. Light flooded the room, from the vanishing doors and the opening forming with the staircase behind them. Annabeth was gone. No, not gone, but dead. He could feel her absence in the world, a black and white spot in an otherwise color world.

Percy's mind went blank. Then he screamed, a wordless cry as he fell to his knees. He buried his face in his hands, tears dripping down his face in waves, bile burning in his throat. He was faintly aware of Thalia and the others coming down the stairs, and a familiar voice.

But it was all hazy, nothing noteworthy against the pain he felt in his guts. Hazel tried to talk to him, but he just yanked at his hair and sobbed out, "She's gone, Annabeth's gone."


	24. Percy XXIV

**XXIV**

**Percy**

Percy leaned against the rails of the Argo, staring out across the water.

Nico was standing beside him, having just relayed Annabeth's final words to Percy.

"She made her final choice with her heart, not her mind. She made the right choice, Percy, that's something I don't think any of us could have done."

"But, _why_? Why would she do that? There could have been other ways to save you."

"I don't know. She said Gaea was playing a game with her, that the doors meant nothing to her, like it wouldn't be a big deal if she shut them."

"Then why did it _kill_ her."

"I don't know. They might not have been the real doors, just a trap."

"Then she died for nothing, is that what you're saying?"

"No... I think I'm starting to understand what she meant."

Then Thalia screamed. Percy and Nico turned to see a slightly blue Jason bowled over by his sister. Thalia was crying, tears dropping on the deck.

"You should be dead! You were dead! How did you get back?" Her smile dropped, and her face grew dim. "But the doors are shut... how..."

"No they aren't," Nico said. Before Percy could get in a word, he continued. "The doors Annabeth shut were fakes, I know this. The real doors lead into Tartarus, and the place Annabeth walked into was much, much different."

"And you know what Tartarus looks like how?" Leo tried to keep his voice light, but he was crying too, silent tears gleaming on his cheeks.

"But we shouldn't focus on that. Because that mean's the real doors are still open. Which mean's the dead can still come back to life. Annabeth understood that. She trusted is to bring her back. And there is something else. The prophecy. The Mark of Athena."

"What about it?" Hazel asked.

"Something must have happened to her while she was alone in Rome. Something we don't know about. Something Gaea didn't want her talking about."

"But what?" Piper asked.

But Percy wasn't listening. The hope he felt at the possibility of Annabeth returning was still there, but dread settled in as he looked at the graying sky. It had grown cold, and the others were starting to notice. The sea air brushed across the boat like a corpses breath. In the distance, the sea began freezing over. A snowflake fell, and then another. One landed on Percy's cheek and a chill ran through him. A storm was brewing in the mediterranean, and the were at the eye. Leo lit his hand, sending broken rays of light across the artificial darkness. "Khione, come out!" Leo shouted. "You wanna play games with us? Well we're ready to play!"

A gale answered Leo's challenge, blowing in a cloud that left the world gray. Then all was silent.

**The End**

* * *

><p><em>And here we are, finally at the end. I started writing this almost 3 years ago, and stopped shortly before the book was released. But yet it haunted me. To this day, it's still the longest thing I've ever written (Although not for long) and I couldn't stand the idea of not finishing it when I was only three chapters away. So somehow, I found the words that lay dormant for nearly two years and finished it in a night. I'd like to thank all the people that stuck with this so long ago, and put up with my oddly dramatic mess. It's nothing compared to the real book, but it's my little contribution to The Mark of Athena apocalypse. I hope you all got something out of it.<em>

_And I leave you all with one last thing...I'm really scared for The Blood of Olympus._

_(Can I just take a moment to point out all the stuff I got right? I am a true seeeeeer.) (Please ignore me)_


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